Glossary

accession

The transfer of legal and physical custody of permanent content to the National Archives.

audit trail

An electronic means of tracking interactions with content items in a system so that any access to the content item within the system can be documented as it occurs or afterward. An audit trail may be used to identify unauthorized actions in relation to the items (for example, modification, deletion, or addition).

category

A description of a particular set of content items within a retention schedule. Each category has retention and disposition data associated with it, applied to all content items within the category.

classified record

An item that requires protection against unauthorized disclosure (for example, because it contains information sensitive to the national security of the United States). See also: unclassified content, declassified record.

classification guide

A mechanism that defines default values for several classification-related metadata fields on the content check-in page for content. This enables convenient implementation of multiple classification schemes.

classification markings

Identifications or markings that leave no doubt about the classified status of the information, the level of protection required, and the duration of the classification.

create

To file a new electronic content item and its associated metadata.

current item

Active content item. A content item necessary to conduct current business, and therefore is generally maintained in an office space.

Optional layer of security in addition to supplemental markings. As with supplemental markings, users must match the metadata field value to be allowed access to content. However, custom security fields allow you to configure any custom field (except date fields) that should be matched by a user rather than a designated supplemental marking. Also, custom security fields are enforced only at the content level whereas supplemental markings can be set at the content or record folder level.

The moment that the status of a content item changes and the content item goes into disposition. A content item may be cut off after a specific period, at a specific event, or after an event. Content items need to be cut off before they can be processed further in accordance with their disposition rules, for example, destroyed, transferred to an external storage facility, and so on

cycle

The periodic replacement of obsolete copies of content that is subject to review with copies of current content that is subject to review. This may occur daily, weekly, quarterly, annually, or at other designated intervals as specified by regulations or by the records administrator.

declassified record

Content that was formerly classified, but whose classified status has been lifted.

All actions to be taken when a retention period of a content item has ended and it has reached a designated disposition date.

disposition action

An individual operation to be performed when a retention period of a content item has ended and it has reached a designated disposition date.

disposition authority

Legal authority that empowers a United States Government agency to dispose of temporary items, or to transfer permanent items to the National Archives. The disposition authority for permanent content must be obtained from NARA. For certain temporary content, the authority must also be obtained from the General Accounting Office (GAO).

disposition instruction

A set of individual actions that are to be performed when a retention period of a content item has ended and it has reached a designated disposition date.

downgrade

Determination by a declassification authority that information classified at a specified level shall be classified and safeguarded at a lower classification level.

A content item, physical or electronic, whose source file is not specifically stored in Oracle URM. Oracle URM can be used to track and search metadata associated with the external file, including disposition schedules, and can even manage an electronic rendition of an external file. An electronic rendition can be checked in as a primary file of an external content item, or be filed as a separate file, and then linked to the external file metadata.

A collection of similar items in the retention schedule. This allows the items to be organized into groups. Record folders can be nested within other record folders.

FRC

Federal Records Center. A facility operated by NARA for low-cost storage and servicing of Federal records that are pending disposal or transfer to the National Archives.

freeze

To pause disposition processing of a content item or record folder due to special circumstances, such as a lawsuit, court order, or investigation. Freezing content items temporarily extends an approved retention period.

National Archives and Records Administration. Records repository for permanent records continually preserved by the Federal Government. The Archivist of the United States determines the historical or other value of content and deems the item as permanent.

An initial determination that information requires protection against unauthorized disclosure (for example, in the interest of national security).

originating organization

Official name or code identifying the office responsible for the creation of a document.

period

The segment of time that must pass before a review or disposition action can be performed. Several built-in periods (for example, "one year") are available, but you also can create custom periods to meet your unique business needs.

permanent item

Content appraised by NARA as having sufficient historical or other value to warrant continued preservation by the Federal Government beyond the time they are normally needed for administrative, legal, or fiscal purposes. Content that is not authorized for destroying is retained permanently.

privileged user

An individual who is given special permission to perform functions beyond those of typical users.

publication date

The date and time that the author or originator completed the development of, or signed the document. For electronic documents, this date and time should be established by the author or from the time attribute assigned to the document by the application used to create the document. This is not necessarily the date or time that the document was filed in the system.

record

Any content item whose disposition and location must be tracked and maintained according to an organization's requirements. Records include all books, papers, maps, photographs, machine-readable materials, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics. In this documentation, this term is synonymous with 'content'.

The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promoting, and other managerial activities involving the life cycle of information, including creating, maintenance (use, storage, retrieval), and disposal, regardless of media.

records manager

An individual who is responsible for records management administration.

regrade

A determination by a classification or declassification authority that information classified and safeguarded at a specified level requires a different level of classification and safeguarding.

Replication of a content item that provides the same content but differs from the reference because of storage format or storage medium (for example, an HTML version generated from an original Word document).

rescind

To made void by an enacting authority.

retention period

Length of time that a content item must be kept in its repository before the item can enter its final disposition instruction, such as destroy or archive.

screening

The process of aggregating and reviewing content items for management, review, and disposition purposes.

semi-current record

Content so seldom required that it should be moved to a holding area or to a records center.

A collection of retention categories in the retention schedule. You cannot file content items directly into a series; you must file the items into a category or retention folder.

subject to review

Essential agency or private-sector business content items required to meet operational responsibilities in the event of a national security emergency or other emergency or disaster. Items subject to review also protect the legal and financial rights of the Government, businesses in the private sector, and individuals affected by the actions of Government and business. These content items are subject to periodic review and update. Also referred to as "essential content."

supersede

To supplant, or displace, an item by another item that is more recent or improved (superior).

supplemental markings

Document markings not related to classification markings per se, but which elaborate or clarify document handling. Supplemental markings can be set at the content or record folder level, and can be used to restrict user access to content or folders.

A disposition instruction specifying that a content item is disposed of a fixed period after a predictable or specified event. After the specified event has occurred, then the retention period is applied.

The process of moving content from one location to another; particularly, from an office space in which it is used to storage facilities for temporary or permanent preservation. The legal and physical custody of transferred content is not affected (as opposed to accession).

An event that must take place before a disposition instruction is processed. They are associated with disposition rules for retention categories. Examples of triggering events include changes in state, completed processing of a preceding disposition action, and retention period cutoff.